Brexodus: Where to After London?
① The clock is ticking towards March 2019, the deadline for talks between Britain and the EU.
② But businesses require certainty well before then.
③ In 2018 financial-services firms will have their commitment to the City of London tested.
④ Nobody expects a stampede to the exit, but in the absence of clarity about a deal, many will move some of their operations pre-emptively.
⑤ In 2018 it will be clear that Frankfurt, favoured by Goldman Sachs, has the edge in Europe.
⑥ HSBC, meanwhile, is moving jobs to Paris, a short train ride from London.
⑦ In the second tier are Amsterdam, Dublin and Luxembourg, with cheaper, tech-savvy Warsaw emerging as the dark horse.
⑧ In the end, however, investment banks may prove more footloose than many people imagined; business-friendly New York could yet be the biggest beneficiary.
⑨ Don't write the City off just yet.
⑩ But don't underestimate the short-term damage of Brexit.
▍生词好句
exodus /ˈɛksədəs/: n. 大量离开；出埃及记 (Exodus)
the clock is ticking: 时间迫近
well /wɛl/: adv. 远远地
commitment /kəˈmɪtm(ə)nt/: n. 承诺；奉献；投入
stampede /stamˈpiːd/: n. 踩踏；蜂拥
pre-emptively /prɪˈɛmptɪvlɪ/: adv. 先发制人地；未雨绸缪
second tier: 二线
savvy /ˈsavi/: adj. 精明的；精通的
dark horse: 黑马
footloose /ˈfʊtluːs/: adj. 自由自在的 (本文可理解为“安步当车”)
beneficiary /bɛnɪˈfɪʃ(ə)ri/: n. 受益者
write off: 删除